Nursing’s duty of care: From legal obligation to moral commitment

Water, Tineke; Rasmussen, Shayne; Neufeld, Michael J.; Gerrard, Debra; Ford, Katrina

doi:10.36951/ngpxnz.2017.010

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…The concept of duty to care includes legal, ethical, and professional obligations to both patients and self. 14,15 While the terms “duty” and “obligation’ are often used synonymously, they have slightly different connotations. 16 The term “duty” intimates one is performing an activity due to a sense of morality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of nurses’ duty to care and willingness to report

et al. 2019

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Background: Nurses must balance their perceived duty to care against their perceived risk of harm to determine their willingness to report during disaster events, potentially creating an ethical dilemma and impacting patient care. Research aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses’ perceived duty to care and whether there were differences in willingness to respond during disaster events based on perceived levels of duty to care. Research design: A cross-sectional survey research design was used in this study. Participants and research context: Using a convenience sample with a snowball technique, data were collected from 289 nurses throughout the United States in 2017. Participants were recruited through host university websites, Facebook, and an American Nurses Association discussion board. Ethical considerations: Institutional review board approval was obtained from the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Arkansas. Findings: Analysis of willingness to report to work based on levels of perceived duty to care resulted in the emergence of two groups: “lower level of perceived duty to care group” and “higher level of perceived duty to care group.” The most discriminating characteristics differentiating the groups included fear of abandonment by co-workers, reporting because it is morally the right thing to, and because of imperatives within the Nursing Code of Ethics. Discussion: The number of nurses in the lower level of perceived duty to care group causes concern. It is important for nursing management to develop strategies to advance nurses’ safety, minimize nurses’ risk, and promote nurses’ knowledge to confidently work during disaster situations. Conclusion: Level of perceived duty to care affects nurses’ willingness to report to work during disasters. Primary indicators of low perceived duty to care are amenable to actionable strategies, potentially increasing nurses’ perceived duty to provide care and willingness to report to work during disasters.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of nurses’ duty to care and willingness to report

et al. 2019

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“…The decision to 'answer the call' was borne out of a commitment to nursing that necessitates registered nurses act as moral agents in their provision of care (Water et al, 2017). Such a commitment was considered by us to be applicable irrespective of an educational or clinical setting.…”

Section: So What?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Answering the call: Academic nurse educators returning to practice on the eve of COVID-19

J¹,

Poulsen²

2021

Nurs Prax ANZ

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Prior to Aotearoa New Zealand's first COVID-19 related death there was an urgent regional need for frontline prepared registered nurses with highly specialised skills. In these exceptional circumstances nursing academics can provide a workforce reservoir to meet this exigent need. In the early stages of pandemic response planning, a district health board sought support from a local provider of nurse education, asking for nurse academics who were willing to return to practice. Learnings highlighted the value of academic staff having clinical currency allowing them to meet moral and professional responsibilities. Furthermore, it is evident that a collaborative relationship between education and healthcare providers can allow access to frontline prepared, highly skilled registered nurses to be called upon in a time of need.

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“…Although the term “reasonable” is ethically and problematically imprecise, it can be more clearly defined by acknowledging the subjectivity of risk and the multitude of factors that affect an individual's vulnerability (Bensimon et al, 2007 ; Geppert, 2020 ; Malm et al, 2008 ; McConnell, 2020 ; McDougall et al, 2020 ; Reid, 2005 ; Water et al, 2017 ). For example, a nurse may feel a strong obligation to care for someone suffering from an infectious disease when the nurse has been vaccinated against it or has the appropriate personal protective equipment to prevent transmission.…”

Section: Duty To Provide Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Nursing violent patients: Vulnerability and the limits of the duty to provide care

Dunsford

2021

Nursing Inquiry

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The duty to provide care is foundational to the nursing profession and the work of nurses.Unfortunately, violence against nurses at the hands of recipients of care is increasingly common. While employers, labor unions, and professional associations decry the phenomenon, the decision to withdraw care, even from someone who is violent or abusive, is never easy. The scant guidance that exists suggests that the duty to care continues until the risk of harm to the nurse is unreasonable, however, "reasonableness" remains undefined in the literature. In this paper, I suggest that reasonable risk, and the resulting strength of the duty to provide care in situations where violence is present, hinge on the vulnerability of both nurse and recipient of care. For the recipient, vulnerability increases with the level of dependency and incapacity. For the nurse, vulnerability is related to the risk and implications of injury. The complex interplay of contextual vulnerabilities determines whether the risk a nurse faces at the hands of a violent patient is reasonable or unreasonable. This examination will enhance our understanding of professional responsibilities and can help to clarify the strengths and limitations of the nurse's duty to care.

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Nursing’s duty of care: From legal obligation to moral commitment

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Characterization of nurses’ duty to care and willingness to report

Characterization of nurses’ duty to care and willingness to report

Answering the call: Academic nurse educators returning to practice on the eve of COVID-19

Nursing violent patients: Vulnerability and the limits of the duty to provide care

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